Not too long ago, I learned a big lesson. A hard lesson. A lesson that shook me to my core and opened my eyes to such a great flaw.
After being in missions and philanthropy for so long, I had developed a syndrome. If I sat down and was honest about this syndrome, I would admit that it should be called the "respecter syndrome". You can only imagine what would mean.
I started seeing people differently.
I started seeing some people as more important than others. Starving orphans as more worthy of my attention than prospective clients. Girls in the sex slave as more important an investment of my time and energy than those in the church. I still can't target exactly when my perspective become so screwed and out of focus.
I don't understand why I became a respecter of persons.
And yet, it seems to be an age old issue. The rich prefer the rich. The poor prefer the poor. The intellectual prefer the intellectual. The artist prefers the artist. The religious prefer the religious.
And suddenly, we each begin to judge.
Somehow, somewhere in our minds comes a whisper that life experience gives us the ability to judge someone else. We make determinations in our spirits, and ideas in our heads, that cause us to view people differently. Suddenly, some people become more important than others. And of course, some people become less important than others too.
Lost in the shuffle is the truth that God Himself is no respecter of persons. I think of any individual alive, He certainly has the right to do so. And yet, He doesn't. In fact, Jesus came for the poor who curses and raises a fist in His face just as much as the rich who ignores the One who blessed Him with much. He loves and set to redeem those who would ignore and deny Him, as much as those who would love and embrace Him.
For artists in philanthropy, it seems that this is an issue - not to judge, but to determine how time will be best invested. Somehow, if we spend most of our time helping the misfortunate, we see ourselves as more worthy or honored. In fact, this is hardly the case.
When we invest our time to love - whether the rich or poor, the intellectual or artist, the orphan or the independent rebel - the investment is worthy of God's praise.
If we remember that before God, we are all the same - regardless of status or accomplishment, ability or financial state - maybe then our lives can reflect the work of an all loving God.
Maybe then we can start loving as Jesus loved.
Maybe then we can accept that we are truly all the same.
[This post is the first in a series of weekly posts designed to inspire and challenge through the stories and thoughts from theRevolutionary Mediabook, "Dear World".Dear World is available for purchase through Blurb, and by November 1st, 2009 will be available for digital download by donation.]
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